My mum has osteoporosis - am I likely to get it, too

asks Miss Don:
A. Yes. You are considered to be at risk if a parent has it, although it hasn't yet been proved that it is inherited.

Q. What are the other risks
A. Women who had have an early menopause or early hysterectomy (before the age of 45) are more at risk. As are women whose periods stopped because they were anorexic or because of too much exercising.

You are also at risk if:

• you take high dose corticosteroid tablets for arthritis or asthma
• you are immobile most of the time
• you have problems absorbing nutrients because of diseases such as coeliac disease, Crohn's disease, or because of gastric surgery
• you are a heavy drinker or smoker.

Q. How common is it
A. Very common. In this country, one in three women and one in 12 men over the age of 50 have osteoporosis.

Q. Is there anything I can do to prevent it
A. It depends how old you are. Your bones reach 'peak bone mass' between the age of 25 and 30, and after that they grow thinner as part of the ageing process. You can slow down the thinning process by investing more in your 'bone bank' before your late 20s. This is done through diet and exercise.

Q. What sort of diet
A. One rich in calcium. You get good amounts of calcium from dairy products, peanuts, dried fruit, tinned fish, green leafy vegetables, baked beans, dried fruit, sesame and sunflower seeds.

Taking a calcium and vitamin D supplement will help, too - vitamin D helps you absorb calcium efficiently. The RDA of calcium is 800mg - but you may need more if you're in a high-risk group.

You should also cut down on alcohol and keep junk foods to a minimum.

Q. What about exercise
A. Research shows that high-impact sports - such as step aerobics, running, jogging, tennis, squash, basketball, football and hockey - increase bone strength. But if you aren't up to that, a brisk 30-minute walk three times a week will make a difference.

Q. How can you tell if you have osteoporosis
A. Usually when you fracture a bone after a fall. Otherwise, you need to have a bone densitometry scan, a special kind of x-ray which measures the calcium content of your bones.

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By Sheena Miller